


Tangerines

by AllDolledUpPink



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Between Episodes, Between Seasons/Series, Canon Compliant, F/M, MSR, Multi-chap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2018-12-30 05:52:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12102189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllDolledUpPink/pseuds/AllDolledUpPink
Summary: The evolution of Mulder and Scully's relationship through a simple exchange of one of her favorite snacks.





	1. Season 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [a_january_girl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_january_girl/gifts).



So far, he had learned that Dana Scully was extremely intelligent, morally sound, and assertive. She was serious about her work ethic as she was about facts and science. Despite her petite size, she could only be described as tough as nails.

  


Mulder’s uneasiness about his new partner being sent to spy on him quickly turned into trust. There was something about her that he couldn't resist since they met for the first time and he took her hand in his. Sure, Scully was beautiful with her red hair, wet blue eyes, and pink lips that could incite plenty of fantasies. However, there was so much more to her than a pretty face and a sensual body to match. 

  


She was smart and her strong work ethic bred trust and confidence in who she was. She was validity on legs; his human credential. If Special Agent Dana Scully, medical doctor and scientist, said you were worth risking her life over, then you should consider yourself a really lucky son of a bitch. He did. 

  


“Mulder,” she began as her manicured nails peeled a tangerine she had pulled out of a brown paper bag. “Even if this case had involved numerology and card readings there’s still no concrete evidence on how Roland was able to finish his brother’s research.”

  


Mulder was used to being the FBI’s joke but Scully continued to stand by him. She didn't get spooked because of his reputation or the work involved with the X-Files.

  


“I still stand by my belief, Scully. Roland was having a psychic connection with his brother.”

  


As it was to be expected when spending so much time together, he also noticed that Scully liked to eat healthy. It made sense since she was a doctor and well educated on what was most beneficial for the human body. She often brought a salad or homemade sandwich for lunch. There were times when she did reach for fried foods and crumbly confections from his plate. It was something he never minded in the least. If he could say one thing for certain, there was one thing that was definitely consistent about his enigmatic partner’s eating habits. She really enjoyed tangerines.

  


He watched her mouth as she took the fruit’s flesh between her teeth. Her little pink tongue peeked out and licked any remnants of the fruit’s juice that touched her lips.

  


“You can't have a psychic connection with someone that's dead,” she countered in between chews. She noticed his gaze and extended a hand with three wedges to him. “Want some?”

  


He took the proffered food in his hand like it was her very own essence she was offering. He often felt like the kid on the playground who no one picked to be on a team. However, the pretty girl who everyone liked wanted to sit next to him and share her snack so he felt more than vindicated. 

  


“Wow, these are good,” he admitted.

  


“Do you ever have anything that isn't coated in salt or drenched in fat?” she teased. She put another wedge in her mouth and chewed pensively. The expressive blue of her eyes shone brightly and he was helplessly captivated. When her lips formed into a soft little smile he was mesmerized. “I've always enjoyed tangerines. When I was a little girl, my father would take me to the farmers market and let me pick them out. He would tell me what a good job I did getting the best ones and um, even when I didn't, he still approved.”

  


Her father had passed away almost four months ago and though Scully insisted on working right away, she had struggled with his death. To have her smiling and sharing a memory that he knew was dear to her heart meant a lot to Mulder.

  


He popped another small wedge into his mouth. “So sweet.”

  


She gave him a full megawatt smile. “And they're good for you, Mulder. Tangerines contain flavonoids, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate and potassium. That all contributes to very important functions of the body, from cell DNA to the bones and your heart.”

  


He nodded, feeling slightly dazed from her attention. He liked the form her lips took and the sound they emitted when she used all those scientific words. However, his comment was not meant for the little orange. He found her to be quite sweet even though others labeled her as cold. It could be said that the fruit’s components were good for his immune system like she was good for his soul.

  


“So good,” he said pensively. 

  


She still thought he was talking about the tangerine.


	2. Season 2

While she was missing, he wore her cross around his neck and fiddled with a tangerine peel at his desk. He had discovered it in the wastebasket of her office she held at Quantico. She should have been sitting there and telling him how crazy his latest theory sounded. Instead, the room she once occupied and his life were void of her with only the remnants of her favorite fruit in the trash can.

That's what his life was like without her. He was only a skin of man because what mattered the most to him, the good part, was gone. As much as his passion for the X-Files had carried him this far, he just didn't have it in him. It wasn't the same without Scully. He meant what he told her, that he was only remaining with the FBI because she was there. He should have reiterated that and expressed so much more like her sister had advised, but he was afraid.

It had been one month since she woke up in that hospital bed and he couldn't bring himself to bog her down with his thoughts. She was back and reassigned as his partner and, knowing Scully, she wanted to get back to work as soon as possible to put the Duane Barry case and what transpired behind her.

“Mulder?”

He looked over at the beautiful redhead across from him and tried his best to contain all the emotions swarming inside him. He wanted to ask if she remembered anything but he didn't want to push her. A great part of him wanted to admit to her that his concern was beyond that held for a partner and friend. The guilt he felt for what happened to her didn't allow for any of that.

“What is it, Scully?” he provided quietly.

“Well, you said there was a case,” she said expectantly. Her eyebrow was slightly arched as she perched at the table perpendicular to his desk with her arms crossed under her breasts. “Look, I'm here to work. I've been cleared and I passed all-”

“No, no, Scully. I said possible case, and I'm not withholding anything from you,” he interceded. “I...I'm very glad you're back in the basement with me.”

He stood up from behind the desk and made his way over to her.

“You probably feel like you were demoted,” he continued. He looked around the room and raised his hands in a defeated manner. “This isn't anything like that nice cushy office you had over at Quantico. You should-”

“Mulder,” she admonished. “I was assigned back to the X-Files and this is where I want to be. Do-do-do you not want to be partners?”

“No! That's not it at all,” he insisted passionately. By its own accord, his hand reached out and touched her shoulder. His fingers gently gripped at the soft fabric of her navy blue suit jacket. “There was nothing I wanted more than to have you back, Scully. I, uh, I wasn't myself…”

The office was quiet with just the two of them. The light touched her face in a way that made her appear celestial. The brightness of her eyes and the fiery conviction he read in them indicated she was fully back, the woman he had learned to trust and count on stood before him. She was so close that he could smell the lovely potpourri of lavender and citrus that formulated her scent.

“Yes...I heard,” she disclosed and her eyes flitted downward as if she was recalling something sad. “I wanted to thank you for what you did...for providing my mother with hope. She said she couldn't have gotten through this without your dedication, Mulder.”

She turned towards him and her small hand grasped his fingers. Their bodies were aligned as if setting up the moment where he could simply pull her closer to him and wrap his arms around her. Ideally, he wanted to hold on and never let go; keep her safe. He squeezed her hand gently, instead.

“You're the only person I would put myself on the line for, Scully.”

Her eyes widened with recognition and she smiled. They were still only a few inches apart and he began to feel his heart race with anticipation. Just a step closer, he thought, and he could voice his fear and concern for her returning to work on the X-Files. It would release him from his emotional purgatory. He let the moment pass. He stepped back and smiled at her and she straightened up and walked towards the other table against the wall.

“Well, I'm here to keep you out of trouble and tell you how far fetched your theories are, Mulder,” she reminded him with a teasing lilt in her voice that made him feel whole. “Last chance.”

He still wanted to caution her to take time off but he couldn't expect to keep her out of the field forever.

“It appears there's a team of scientists that need our help,” he began, feeling more like himself. He watched as she reached into her purse and pulled out a tangerine. “I don't have all the details, but there's a man, Pierce, who would like to show us something. He should be here soon.”

“Okay,” she agreed and began to expertly peel the small orange.

He let out a sigh of relief. His life was back and things were normal again. As normal as they could be for a guy who believed in aliens and ghosts, and who was at the center of uncovering a government conspiracy.


	3. Season 3

“Scully…”

Little feet be damned, she was really making the car move at an alarming speed. He hadn't seen her like this. She was angry and her responses were terse. Well, he had seen her like this before but her don't mess with me attitude had never been directed at him. As much as he cared to admit, he was worried and maybe even a little scared that his actions had pushed her away.

“Scully…” he attempted again.

He needed to explain himself. She probably wouldn't go for the paranormal simplification of a comet being the culprit behind their uncharacteristic behavior but he couldn't allow for the tension to continue between them.

“Scully…”

“What now, Mulder?” 

The inflection used on his name was not a good sign. She was still upset. 

“Something else you'd like to point out that is a problem about me? Maybe the color of my hair?”

Any wise ass remark or joke that he could come up with about discovering whether her hair color was real or a box from the pharmacy quickly died on his tongue. He could be a total ass but now wasn't the time. She was genuinely upset and he couldn't stand to be the cause of it or the target of her ire.

“Of course not. The case got to all of us, Scully,” he assured her. The desolate road they had been driving on was slowly giving way to signs of civilization. “Hey, look! Stop the car.”

The midnight blue sedan was eased onto the side of the road but she left the engine running.

“Is that a tangerine tree?” he questioned.

“So what if it is?” she retorted rather flippantly.

Immediately, Mulder was unbuckling his seatbelt and out of the car. He headed towards the green ranch style home that was surrounded by a brown wooden rail fence. From where he stood on the edge of the property, he assessed the tree was about five feet away from inside the enclosure’s perimeter. He heard Scully turn off the car and the door click shut after she exited it. She caught up to him quickly.

“Mulder!” she cautioned in a hushed tone and took hold of his forearm. “You can't just trespass onto private property and steal fruit.”

“C’mon, it's just one tangerine. What's the harm in that? Besides, I think it would do you a world of good and restore you back to homeostasis.”

She glared at him and he held up his hands in surrender to begin backing away slowly.

Before she could protest any further, he took off and his long legs allowed him to easily swing over the fence. He walked stealthily towards the tree in hopes that he wouldn't be greeted by a dog or disgruntled homeowner. He surveyed the smooth narrow trunk with its Eden-green leaves and enjoyed the scent of citrus in the air before making his choice. His arm stretched up high over his head and he plucked a tangerine off the branch. He walked over to her, unable to suppress a grin at his accomplishment.

“Listen, Scully,” he began when he made his way back to her. He tossed the tangerine back and forth between his hands like it was a baseball. “What you saw back there with Detective White, it wasn't at all-”

“I already told you that it's none of my business, Mulder,” she anticipated with a jut of her chin. “You don't owe me any explanations on what you do or don't do with your personal time.”

“No, but I do care what you think about me, Scully,” he protested. “That wasn't me back there and I'm not the type of guy that goes around doing that kind of thing.”

“She seemed to be very willing to keep you updated on all aspects of the case,” she expressed in an acerbic tone. “You shared similar theories so I suppose you'd rather associate yourself with someone like her.”

“She showed up to my room unannounced, Scully,” he defended. “Trust me, even she admitted she wasn't feeling like herself before she practically attacked me! Did you… uh, engage in any strange or uncharacteristic behavior?”

She averted her eyes and her shoulders gave a slight shrug. 

“I wasn't kissing anyone in my hotel room if that's what you're asking." There was a slight tug at the corners of her lips and the tight little smile she used for occasions when she was uncomfortable was there. "I might have smoked a cigarette."

“You?” he started in disbelief. “But it's such a nasty habit and you're, you’re a doctor, Scully.”

He didn't want to sound like a disapproving father. The truth was that a part of him, a big one, enjoyed the rebellious side of Scully. If she was to depart from her strict rationalism to put a carcinogen in between her lips then she might be willing to be open to extreme possibilities. That was also a fantasy he harbored about her that commingled with the ones that had nothing to do with their work.

“I guess we were being the opposite of our true selves because on any other night I would have only opened my door to women who I'm sure that their hair color is natural…” he concluded and conjured up his most charming smile. “If I'm being honest it's only been one woman and DOD, Army intelligence and CIA agents knocking on my door at all hours of the night. You, by far, have been the most consistent guest.”

The smile on her face turned into one of amusement though he could tell she was trying to suppress it. He found the courage to come closer and placed his right hand behind her neck while his left one held on to the tangerine.

“You and I are partners. Even if we don't share the same beliefs with science and the paranormal, there's no one else I'd rather work with. I know you always have my back, Scully,” he told her. “But I'll admit that sometimes I do wish you would have a more open mind to these type of things. And, that should go both ways because your science brings a lot to the table as well.”

He looked into her eyes and he could see that her level of intolerance for him was dissolving.

“Friends?” he implored. He removed his hand from her neck and offered it to shake her hand.

“Always,” she acknowledged softly, taking his hand in hers.

It was a nice and serene moment, a major contrast to the bickering and nonstop banter of the town that they had just left behind. The weather was a comfortable temperature that didn't have them baking or freezing in their suits and the gentle sounds of nature stretched for miles in all directions under the starry night sky.

“So, you want one?” he teased holding the tangerine with a fully extended arm and waving it over her head. 

Before he realized what was happening, she jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow, tripped his ankle, and disarmed him of the fruit with a flick of his wrist.

“Ow!” he exclaimed. “I can't believe you would use FBI training on me to get a piece of fruit.”

“I knew that move before the academy, Mulder,” she stated and her self-assuredness made him smile. "That's a result of growing up with two brothers."

They walked towards the car and he stopped a few steps behind her.

“Why don't I drive now?” he suggested gently. “So you can take a break and enjoy your much-deserved fruit there. Which I broke the law to get just for you, Scully.”

She chucked a peeling at his chest.

“Hey! There's no need for that,” he declared in mock indignation with his hands on his hips. “You just littered.”

“Shut up, Mulder,” she replied but the tension from earlier was gone. 

When he got in the driver’s seat he looked over at her and couldn't help himself.

“Did I pick a good one?” he asked with a grin and indicated with a raised index finger to the tangerine wedges in her hand. 

“You did,” she supplied with a smile. “Thank you.”

She laughed quietly and the balance between them was restored. It could have been that the cosmic turmoil was over and they were far away from Comity, or she needed vitamin C in her system. Regardless, having her approval meant the world to him.

“Oh, and Scully?”

“Yes?”

“I like your little feet...they're cute.”

“Eyes on the road, Mulder.”

“Sure. Fine. Whatever.”


	4. Season 4

On their way to the Peacock Family farm, they stopped by a fruit stand and he bought a few tangerines to tie them over. After the infant’s autopsy, it was hard to muster an appetite but they needed something to be able to continue their investigation of the heinous crime.

“This place has it all,” he indicated with the tangerines in his possession as if the availability of her favorite fruit should be enough evidence to deem a place as such.

He began peeling a tangerine for her and offered sections of the fruit to her without thinking. It had become an innate tendency, like holding doors for her or putting a hand on the small of her back as they made their way down hallways. It was territorial on his part as well, a way to tell others around them that there was some unspoken claim on the other. Not romantic, of course, but almost.

“I would never have imagined that you’d want to live in a place like this,” she responded. Under the blinding rays of the sun, she shielded her eyes with her hand. “What else don’t I know about you, Mulder?”

Another realization had also dawned on him along with the one that Scully could someday be a mother. It would mean that she would have to leave their work behind. That was something he wasn't ready to come to terms with and he didn't like the thought of her not being his partner. His selfishness was also appalling but he couldn't help himself. Without her, he wouldn't be able to continue his search for the truth. Her strict logic had a way of keeping him on track and steering his mind to make the mental leaps necessary for his quest. Then again, he would also ditch her in order to keep her out of harm’s way. There appeared to be other reasons for wanting her around but he didn’t dare examine them to a full extent.

“Now look here Miss Scully,” he jested in a mild southern drawl and handed her the peeled tangerine. “I can blend in with small town folk if I need to.”

When she took the fruit and smiled, surrounded by the sunshine and quaintness of the small town, he realized he couldn't expect her to be tied down to the X-Files forever. She deserved nice things like kids and a big house. Of all she had been put through, she had earned something conventional that wasn’t tainted by shadowy figures and death.

“Is there a time stamp on when you might give up aliens and tractor beams for normal?” she teased. 

She smirked at him before returning her attention to the fruit in her hand. He laughed and ate a tangerine wedge as well.

“There's just...things I need to do and find out.”

She nodded and their eyes locked in a shared understanding. This kind of unspoken communication they had was another unique feature of their relationship that he couldn’t do without. 

“We both do,” she reassured him.

There was a brief moment of silence between them and his mind drifted back to their conversation on the bench. Before he could examine his thoughts any further his curiosity persevered.

“So...would you want kids?” he asked.

“Um… I don't know. Our line of work isn't exactly kid friendly,” she pointed out. 

He could see that with her intelligence and strong protective nature she would make a great mother. If the way she looked after him was any indicator of how she would be as a parent, some little boy or girl would be really lucky someday.

“I do enjoy spending time with my nephew, but I’m glad I'm able to give him back.”

They both laughed lightly. He felt delighted in knowing that the male companionship she kept outside of work was a young boy who was related to her.

“That bad, huh?”

“No, he's a great kid and really sweet,” she began.

Mulder sensed there was something she wasn't sharing. “But?”

“But I know that kids take a lot of work and require a certain kind of lifestyle that I'm not sure I'm ready to have yet. There are a lot of sacrifices I'd have to make regarding our work and my career.” She paused and he could tell she was weighing another statement in her mind. “Besides... I already have you to take care of.”

The expression on her face was adorable as she looked at him with a playful smile. He enjoyed being teased by her.

“Ha-ha,” he provided good-naturedly.

“What about you?”

She gazed at him with genuine interest but with a hint of something else. It was parallel to their earlier exchange when she asked about his family’s genetic history.

“I like kids but I haven't really spent any time around them since I was one myself,” he acknowledged as he glanced over at her. “I really don't know.” 

“I know what you mean,” she agreed. “Conventional society expects us to settle down and raise families but it's never been a role I've been able to picture myself fulfilling. Maybe I'm just protecting myself after what we saw in that baby.”

Her eyes narrowed, a vertical wrinkle formed between her eyebrows, and her lips pursed slightly. It was either because of the sun’s brightness or she was really that thrown off by the thought of being someone’s progenitor.

“Yeah, but Scully,” he reminded her as his hand touched her lower back. He mustered his best imitation of a whining child and intoned, “You’d make a great mom.”

She averted her eyes and licked her lips. Her reaction to his comment registered mild astonishment and he found it hard to believe that she hadn’t heard it often. There were other things he wanted to let her know, like how pretty she looked, but those were the type of things that you weren't supposed to share with your work partner. Not that Mulder was one for following perfect protocol so it was more out of doubt and fear that she wouldn’t be receptive to such remarks from him. 

“Now me, with kids, that’s spooky right?”

“Don't sell yourself short, Mulder,” she told him as she finished the remainder of the tangerine. “Besides they're a lot cuddlier and cuter than lake monsters and flukemen.”

At the moment, he wasn't sure what he truly found more frightening. The responsibility that came with being someone's father seemed to have more dire repercussions than not being able to capture Big Blue. He had acquired this impression from the strained relationship he had with his parents.

“Sounds like the FBI also trains for parenthood,” he deadpanned.

She laughed and shook her head. It appeared she was going to add something else but the mood of their conversation shifted as the Peacock house came into view. 

“Here we are,” she murmured. “I wonder if anyone's home.”

******  
After several more tragedies, including the deaths of Sheriff Taylor and his wife, the case came to an end. An A.P.B. and roadblock were set in place for the capture of Edmund and Mrs. Peacock. 

Mulder made his way to their car and got in. Scully joined him as she sat in the passenger seat. He rested his elbow on the steering wheel and placed his chin against his knuckles in a pensive state.

“What is it, Mulder?”

“It's just such a normal and quiet place, Scully,” he said with a wave of his hand. “And then something like this happens.”

“They won't get far,” she assured him. “There will be justice for Sheriff Taylor and all the others.”

He couldn't help but be reminded of his own childhood home. The neighborhood was quiet with great curb appeal but his sister had disappeared one night without a trace. Would he ever be able to acquire justice for Samantha?

“And besides,” she continued. “Normal is not all that it's cracked up to be.”

She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze then retracted her hand and rummaged through her purse.

“Here,” she proffered as she held out a tangerine to him.

“Thanks, Scully, but isn't this your last one?”

“It's okay. I can share.”

His hands searched through his pockets and pulled out a lone sunflower seed.

“You want my seed?” he offered. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and the corners of her mouth quirked together into an amused but slightly suppressed smile. “What?”

They enjoyed the little orange fruit and made small talk about psychokinesis and its elusive scientific evidence before buckling up their seat belts and driving off into the night.


	5. Season 5

When he saw her foraging in the Florida forest he thought there should be tangerines for her to somewhat rectify their accommodations and surroundings. Here was a person who had just survived the dark clutches of a monster and he had just led her to another. She maintained that she thoroughly exercised the right to make her own choices so she didn't blame him for her cancer. Nonetheless, Mulder couldn't see past his guilt. She deserved better, and definitely a viable source of Vitamin C instead of mystery berries. If he considered starting an intimate relationship with Scully, and yes he had contemplated this many times, he knew that she deserved better than dingy motel rooms, cheap wine, and him.

He bought her some of her favorite fruit when they got back to DC to make up for the Mothmen and missing the conference. He thought it would be a pleasant surprise for her and could place them on his desk for her to see when she arrived. As he stepped out of the elevator, his nose quickly caught on to the familiar scent of her perfume and saw the lights were already on in the office.

Scully looked up from her morning cup of coffee where she sat in the chair in front of his desk. The warmth of her red hair and healthy glow of her skin made her pink lips stand out. Her cheeks were slightly rouged and she was dressed in a white button-down blouse, a black pencil skirt, and three-inch heels, the ones that accented her calves. She took his breath away and he gripped the paper bag of tangerines in his right hand but willed himself to stop before he offered her a bag full of juice and pulp.

“Good morning, Mulder. How’s your arm feeling?”

He had walked away from their encounter with an invisible assailant with scratches on his face and an injured left arm. Scully applied an antibiotic ointment to his face and insisted his arm had to be in a sling for a few days. It wasn’t Mulder’s style to comply with medical advice when he needed more sleep or to take it easy however after their encounter in the woods and his lingering guilt from her recent brush with death, he acquiesced for the day to wear the uncomfortable strap.

“Hey, Scully,” he greeted with more enthusiasm than he was accustomed to using, especially at such an early hour and in the Hoover building. He wondered if his behavior was that transparent. “This - uh - this is a pleasant surprise.”

Her eyebrow arched slightly at his greeting.

“What are you implying, Mulder?” she asked as she uncrossed her legs. “That I’m always late?”

“No, not at all. I meant that I’m usually the one here first and I don’t get to walk into such a sight of you, Scully,” he rambled. “I mean it’s so great to see you instead of just a dark, empty office.”

“I’m sure you’d be more pleasantly surprised if Bigfoot were sitting here waiting for you,” she quipped with a smile playing on her lips.

He thought of letting her know that she looked really nice. Perhaps, he could even joke about china patterns at her mentioning forest monsters since she knew him so well but he decided not to because there was too much sincerity behind a proposal.

“After our recent case,” he pointed out with a slight shrug of his injured arm. “Maybe I’m not so eager to see Bigfoot.” 

The corners of her mouth twitched into a little smile and she tucked an auburn strand behind her ear. “What’s that?”

He was still standing by the doorway with the bag of fruit in his good arm.

“Oh, just a little something to replenish the body from our uh, mishap in the forest,” he explained as he walked over to his desk and sat down. He set the bag in front of her and made a flourish with his free hand. “Help yourself.”

She peered inside and smiled.

“So you know what I’m thinking too,” she said in a low tone.

“Yeah, we didn’t need that conference, Scully,” he managed to say. He was starting to feel a little warm. “It’s unspoken. Our communication isn’t something that needs work.”

She smiled again but there was a hint of something else in her eyes. Her unwavering commitment to him took his breath away. It wasn't anything new as he had always found Scully attractive but having her here, healthy and whole, when he was so close to losing her forever adjusted his field of vision as well as his admitting how he truly felt about her. 

With her right hand, she tested the fruit’s firmness and gave it a little squeeze. A glistening caught his attention and his eyes traveled to the top of her shirt where about her neck sat the gold cross necklace. He still questioned whether he owed it to that piece of metal for her being at his side or the one implanted back behind her neck.

“Well, I decided to arrive a little early to get started on all the paperwork regarding our impromptu case. Skinner, of course, can't be too pleased but at least we managed to find the victims we were originally searching for. He can't be upset about that.” She glanced at his arm and continued, “Also, I thought you might need some extra help.”

All he could do was stare as she began to diligently release the tangerine from its skin. Her hands were in line with her breasts and he found himself distracted by the sight of the soft shadows there. 

“Mulder?” she prompted.

“Huh?” he answered, slightly startled. “Oh, Scully you didn't have to do that. It's my fault we got into this mess.”

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with Fox Mulder?” she teased.

“No, really, Scully,” he insisted.

He pursed his lips together feeling defeated at not being able to express what, for some time now, felt compelling. Part of him wanted her safe and away from the dangers of their work but he also couldn’t imagine any kind of life without her. He worried that without their quest, Scully wouldn’t have any reason to have anything to do with him while he would always make sure to find one.

“I'm just anxious to finish all this paperwork,” he told her instead. He felt uncertain on whether she would believe that because she knew firsthand he did not like dealing with that task when it came to their job.

“Are you sure you're okay?” she asked with concern.

With the tangerine temporarily forgotten, she walked over to him where he remained seated behind the desk and examined him closely. Her hand reached out and raked through his hair in what he assumed was another search for bumps and cuts. The warmth of her fingertips was a welcoming feeling as it was gentle and comforting against his scalp. She smelled so nice. All her attentions mixed in with his vantage point felt good- a little too good. 

“Are you experiencing any kind of symptoms? Headaches, dizziness, nausea, dry mouth, lack of coordination…You were in danger of hypothermic shock, Mulder. Does your arm hurt?”

She fiddled gently with the sling and adjusted it slightly making it feel more comfortable. Compared to many doctors he had been treated by over the years, and there were a fair few, her bedside manner was impeccable and he enjoyed when she went into doctor mode.

To Mulder, there was just something so attractive about a woman who could do it all and Scully more than fulfilled that standard. His health had checked out just fine after their Florida ordeal but at the moment he wouldn’t mind becoming ill. If that ensured that she would keep touching him the way she was, he wanted nothing more than to have some kind of abrasion or even go into hypothermic shock. Thoughts of Scully and a sleeping bag drifted into his mind and then things started getting complicated. 

“I feel fine, Scully,” he lamented. He realized that with the slight swelling in his pants, he wouldn't be able to stand up without embarrassing himself. “So we should get started.”

He leaned forward and made a show of shifting around files and paper around his desk. Satisfied by his answer, she walked over to the other side of the room.

“Actually, it's all taken care of. I filled out the expense report for the hotel and I have the case summary,” she summarized proudly. “Do you want to head on over? Skinner is expecting us at eight.”

She gathered the files and tangerine. He had to find an excuse because there was no way he was going to get up from behind his desk and walk up to his boss’ office in his current state.

“Uh, why don't you go ahead and I'll meet you up there. I have to use the little boy’s room.”

The look on her face was one mixed with concern and curiosity. Her lips parted as if to speak but then she pressed them together and nodded. With her head held high, she walked out with an effortless saunter. The clicking of her heels added a needed melody to the lonely and isolated basement hallway.

Once in the bathroom, Mulder rested his palm against the wall and conjured up images that could make his current predicament go away.

This wasn't the first time she had elicited this kind of reaction in him. Spending so much time with a person who makes you feel whole and possesses qualities like Scully would have that effect. These were errant thoughts to have towards his work partner and in their office of all places. His conscience intercepted ‘But they are thoughts to have for someone you love.’ During and after her cancer, he couldn’t deny that he harbored feelings towards her that had a penchant for romance and intimacy, and the opposite of platonic.

In the loneliness and dim light of his apartment, he allowed his fantasies to roam freely. There were musings of what a serious relationship with Scully would be like. She had an incredible ability to ground him and make him feel at ease with himself, with who he was, and no one, including his own parents, had ever made him feel that way. Would it be possible to have her and work alongside her?

After that, his contemplations had the tendency of becoming more primal. The kind that a man had for a woman he wanted to make his. He yearned to peel off her little shirt and skirt and taste the inside of her mouth. He imagined the sweetness of the tangerine on her tongue. What would her breasts feel like in his hands? Soft and yet firm. He wanted to feel her naked flesh against his and devour every inch of her. However, here in the fluorescent spotlight of FBI headquarters with so many prying eyes and wagging tongues, he couldn’t afford such distractions. They were already the center of so many rumors and misconceptions. Although, he wasn't entirely perturbed by the gossip as it only further helped to stake his claim. 

“Flukeman, flukeman, flukeman,” he muttered and he felt his body calm down.


	6. Season 6

Mulder checked that the small citrus fruit he carried in the pocket of his overcoat was still there. He had grabbed it on a whim on his way to work that morning from the market a few blocks away from the Hoover building. 

The good intentions of the store owner had added to his tardiness but Mulder had insisted he keep the one dollar bill he handed him in exchange for Scully’s favorite fruit. The old man had stared at him, mouth agape, wondering why anyone would pay that much for a tangerine. He didn't have time to wait for seventy-two cents in change because he just wanted to get to work, to see Scully.

The tangerine would hopefully be in her possession before she got borrowed to help another department. That’s how it was lately if they weren't knee deep in cases over fertilizer. It was a total load of horse manure that he couldn't get the X-Files back after what had transpired over the summer. He and Scully had handed their case for their reinstatement, including the proof of the alien virus in the bee that stung her, only to have his life’s work handed to two people that would be set to destroy it. More so, he hoped Scully was as adamant and willing as he was to get back to their basement office.

The elevator didn't offer the usual solace that it did. The other agents huddled towards the opposite corners casting side glances in his direction.

“Rough night, Spooky?” an agent he didn’t recognize mocked as Mulder exited the elevator to the sixth floor. 

“I didn’t know little green men took swings at people,” another agent added as the elevator doors shut behind him.

The punch to the face he had received for kissing the 1939 version of Scully was healing nicely but it was still slightly noticeable.

“Gray,” he muttered already feeling like this Monday had gone on long enough. He had to find Scully and fast.

His hope renewed itself when he saw a flash of familiar auburn hair among the sea of employees. He tried to catch up to her but the obstacle course of bullpen members slowed him down. All too quickly, his hopefulness was dashed when he spotted the same redhead go into the women’s restroom.

Dammit.

“Looking for the missus?” a cheerful voice offered from behind which Mulder ignored with a slight groan when he recognized who it was. “She’s down the hallway.”

Agent Caswell was the type to utilize Mulder when he needed something such as fodder for office gossip or a profile on a subject. His intentions for a friendly rapport were transparent and shallow. Caswell called him Spooky behind his back and lived in the camp that believed Mulder and Scully were sleeping together.

It was a rumor that Mulder would gladly make truth. What had happened, or what had not happened, outside his hallway kept him up at night and further ignited the fervor of his fantasies. However, returning from their ordeal and not addressing what had almost occurred showed just how complicated things were between him and his enigmatic partner. People like Caswell wouldn't understand that what he had and felt for Scully wasn’t just about sex. If he ever found the opportunity to get Scully into bed, he expected it to be forever. She was his ‘happily ever after.’

“Hallway you said?” Mulder repeated pointing to his left and the other man nodded as if the information would be leading Mulder to a tryst with Scully in that instant. He glared at Caswell for his misconstruing of the facts about them. “Thanks.”

He made his way down the hall and scooped the tangerine out of his coat pocket in anticipation. His hand covered it whole so there was still an element of surprise. His eyes darted all over the place searching for her but turned up nothing. He glanced down and made a face at the fruit in his hand as if it would offer further instruction to her whereabouts. Suddenly he came into contact with someone else as their shoulders collided.

“Oh!” exclaimed a woman’s voice but it didn't belong to the one he was looking for. “Fox, is everything alright?”

Diana Fowley looked more than happy to see him yet attuned to his agitated state. Mulder didn't have time to exchange pleasantries.

“Yeah,” he provided hurriedly. “Have you seen Scully?”

“Has she still not been able to find you?” she noted with a slight laugh. “She made quite a scene on Thursday.”

Mulder narrowed his eyes pensively and excitement coursed through him at the thought that during this whole time Scully was just as eagerly searching for him.

“She made a scene?” he asked with a smile playing on his lips.

“She barged into Kersh’s office, threatened Agent Spender and A.D. Skinner scolded her outside an elevator,” she said with another laugh. “It was all anyone was talking about on Friday.”

“Oh, that’s funny she didn’t mention anything when we-,” he started but decided he didn't want to get into the details of his hospital stay.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “When you...?”

He shrugged slightly indicating that he wasn’t going to add anything else. 

“With the way she behaved, I doubt you can get the X-Files back,” she reproached.

“It’s my fault,” he defended right away. “She’s my partner and Scully was only trying to help me. She’s always had my back and if it weren't for her-”

“I only have your best interest in mind,” she cut him off. Her hand reached for his but came into contact with the tangerine instead. “What’s this?”

He tossed the fruit up in the air and caught it with the same hand. “A tangerine.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked irritated at him for stating the obvious. He shrugged and made a face at her indicating that she was the one who had asked.

“Since when do you like those?” she questioned and there was another hint of disapproval in her tone.

That summed up their relationship in the past perfectly. She wouldn't question the things that would challenge him where it counted but rather personal things like his taste in beer, clothes, and now fruit. They were the type of things that reminded him of the accusatory look in his father's eyes as well as the disapproving but altogether indifferent expression from his mother when he told them he was joining the FBI. 

“They’re sweet and I’ve been told the Vitamin C is good for my health.”

Diana stared back at him with a frown. “Fox, the only fruit you consume is the kind that comes in a plastic jug.”

He furrowed his brows in displeasure that she still recognized these type of relevant details about him. He hoped that the same things he knew about her could still be applied or his plan to get the X-Files back was doomed. He enjoyed a cup of orange sugar water now and then but he had changed in other aspects of his life. He was no longer the shell of a man she left behind for better prospects of a career. Mulder still didn't have his sister and he had lost his life’s work, but he was a whole person now. 

“It’s just,” he began but paused to gather his thoughts. He couldn't forget the smile on Scully’s face and the look in her eyes when she shared why tangerines were her favorite. The fruit had been part of another treasured exchange with her father when she was a child. She had decided to let Mulder in with that little ounce of information and he valued it wholeheartedly. “Great things come in small packages.”

He tucked the tangerine back in his coat pocket and took a step to show he was returning back to his search.

“Your eye,” she interjected and touched the bruise. “Fox, what happened?”

Mulder winced from her touch and at hearing his given name one too many times in such a short period.

“It’s a long story.”

Diana reached for his hand again and began to speak when he noticed the undeniable profile of his partner by the elevator.

“Scully!”

She pressed the button on the wall and turned in his direction, their eyes making contact. He whizzed past Diana and reached her side feeling slightly out of breath at finally having been able to find her. His hand gently grasped Scully’s elbow before reaching its destination at the small of her back. He led them inside the elevator as its open doors welcomed only the two of them.

“What was that about?” she asked curiously but there was a tension in her tone and she slightly raised her chin upward.

“You wouldn't believe me if I told you,” he teased. He reached into his pocket and opened his hand with a similar flourish in which a magician would reveal a magic trick. “Tangerine?”

As of late, Scully had been on a bee pollen and yogurt kick and he couldn't understand the need for that. Without the privacy that their old office provided she tended not to bring food with her and instead opted for the little cafe a few blocks away from the Hoover building.

“Thank you,” she said and looked into his eyes as she took possession of the little orange.

The expression on her face softened and he felt like he was going to get a gold star. She ducked her head and smiled, her lashes fanning over her eyes. He might as well have offered her a bouquet of flowers because it was the same reaction. It was endearing that a woman as intelligent, beautiful, and independent as she was still managed to be so modest and unassuming when it came to personal things. This wasn't the first time he brought her something that wasn’t a case file and she always reacted with a hint of ‘you shouldn’t have.’ He found it hard to believe that she wasn't fully aware that she was constantly on his mind. At this point, saying I love you was an obvious indicator but apparently not for Scully.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. Where are you headed?”

“To meet with Agent Orosco,” she replied. “She wants to discuss the results of an autopsy.”

“Oh, she’s the one who just had…”

“Yes. A little girl,” she confirmed in a wistful tone. “It looks like I might be helping her out with her case for a few days.”

Mulder nodded and quickly decided on a plan to spend more time together. 

“When do you think you’ll be done with Agent Orosco?”

“I’m not sure. Why, Mulder?”

“There’s something in Nevada I was hoping we could look at,” he said lightly as though she wouldn’t make the connection to Area 51 and government offices. 

“Area 51?” she asked.

“Scully…” he whispered proudly.

“Mulder,” she intoned letting him know that this wasn’t a good idea.

“Just outside of Area 51,” he bartered.

She raised a skeptical eyebrow but her curiosity was evident. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist. When she didn't pull away, he felt extremely grateful. 

“I need you with me, Scully. As you can see I can’t be left to my own devices or…” He held up his hands in surrender and made a face indicating that he would be a goner if she didn't come along. She looked up at him with uncertainty but he could tell she was close to complying. She licked her lips and his heart sped up. He needed to entice her further. “I’m sure there will be science things that need your attention.” 

“Okay.”

“Yeah?” he asked but continued before she could change her mind. “I’ll pick you up at seven on Wednesday. I need to sort a few things with a contact but it should be fun.”


	7. Season 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW NC17+

Everything was set right with the world again. All of creation had been brought back into existence after complications with what should have been a straightforward wish. Somewhere out there a former genie was enjoying the simple things in life as a new woman. Mulder was appreciating simplicities of his own complicated life as he thanked his lucky stars for the sight next to him. Dana Scully sat on his couch with a quirked little smile and her second bottle of Shiner Bock in her hand. He had a sincere intimacy with her that he had denied himself for the past seven years. No genie or other wish granters of any kind could give him that.

 

“So, Mulder,” she began. The beers had started to take their effect because Scully was noticeably relaxed and flirty. “If I could grant you a wish, what would it be?”

 

His eyes fell to the line of her breasts. He licked his lips and thought about the little white shirt she wore, along with everything else, removed and somewhere on the floor of his apartment.

 

“Anything?” he challenged full of innuendo.

 

Her eyebrows rose towards her hairline and she smiled knowingly. She leaned forward and set her beer down on the coffee table. Her hands reached for the hem of her shirt and she curled her fingers in it. Without shedding her garment, suddenly, she got up and walked away towards the kitchen.

 

“Hey! That's definitely not my wish,” he called after her as he moved over to the end of the couch where she was sitting. “Get back here, Genie.”

 

She turned around, standing under the archway, and swiftly removed her shirt. With the same precision as she fired a gun, she threw it at his face and she didn't miss. The sight of her in her white satin bra made his dick begin to swell.

 

“I need a snack,” she explained before disappearing into his kitchen.

 

Upon her return, she had a tangerine in her hand and he couldn't stop himself from chuffing a laugh.

 

Her eyebrow arched as though she was questioning another one of his theories. “What?”

 

“It's just that fruit-” Mulder started but stopped himself, unsure if he should continue. 

 

They had been intimate for several months, since before the new year, and had recently overcome his keeping her ova from her and a failed attempt of conceiving a baby together through science. By now he knew he could let her in on some of his fantasies. The opportunity was presenting itself and he chose to take it. 

 

“I have always enjoyed, uh, really enjoyed watching you eat those.”

 

Her eyes narrowed slightly and she jutted her chin forward. “Have you?”

 

“It’s just that you do that thing with your lips, Scully,” he said defensively. She could drive him mad with desire with the way she licked her lips. It was often done while she delivered findings in a case, expressed something serious and heartfelt, or she was eating something enjoyable. “I would have to really question if I was alive if I didn't have a reaction to it… it's very sexy...  _ you're _ very sexy.”

 

Her eyes locked with his. He immediately recognized her desire in their blue depths but she also looked pleased. She padded over to him and stood between his legs.

 

“So, Mulder, these fantasies of yours…” she started. Her right index finger circled the top of the tangerine slowly as she held it with her left hand. “What are they about, exactly?”

 

He laughed.

 

“Oh you know, just basic, everyday stuff.” His eyes were perfectly aligned with her breasts, just like he wanted. He admired the soft mounds nestled in the white satin. “Most of them definitely include this.”

 

“What am I usually doing?” she whispered in that sexy alto that had stimulated so many of said fantasies in all their years working together. “Am I saying anything?”

 

“Yes,” he confirmed. “You’ll sometimes say,  _ ‘I believe you, Mulder. Aliens exist and so does Big Blue’  _ and you start prefacing it with your science, so that just...it - it - really does something to me.”

 

There was a skeptical expression on her face indicating she would never concede to saying such things. However, she moved closer to him, her body telling him that there were other things she would definitely be willing to do.

 

“Help me, Mulder,” she requested playfully as her manicured nails began to sink into the tangerine’s skin. “My hands are full.”

 

He took a steadying breath and his cock strained the material of his jeans. He framed her waist with his hands and his thumbs stroked her exposed skin. Slowly, he undid the button and zipper of her black slacks. He peeled the pants down her toned legs and groaned when he breathed her in. It was a primal scent that was just as much arousing to him as it was intoxicating.The salty-sweet musk of her arousal was the precursory sign of her desire for him that he craved throughout long work days. He kept track of the days and hours until he could spend as much of his time losing himself in her body.

 

“Fuck,” he huffed. “I love you.”

 

He helped her step out of her pants. Then his hands returned to her waist and traveled down to her ass and, for a moment, enjoyed the feel of the silky cotton of her pink panties. He cupped her buttocks before freeing her of the undergarment.

 

With only her bra remaining, Scully gave him a questioning stare. “You seem to be a little overdressed.”

 

He nodded and stood, making quick time of ridding himself of his clothes. He tossed them haphazardly to the side. His erection bobbed as he sat bare on the couch and his eyes took in her beauty. The trimmed auburn curls at the apex of her legs glistened with her arousal and called out to him. He leaned forward, grasped her firmly by the hips and kissed her belly, right next to her belly button. Then he made his way further down and buried his nose in her sex. He kissed her mound and looked up at her, his chin resting against her skin.

 

By now, she had skinned the tangerine and was holding on to the peelings in her palm. 

 

“Drop them,” he murmured in between kisses to each of her hips.

 

She obliged by opening her hand and the peelings scattered on the floor like rose petals. It was absolutely romantic.

 

She slowly popped a wedge into her mouth and bit down making the fruit squirt all over the corner of her lips. Unlike other times, she didn't attempt to clean the remnants of the tangerine. Instead, she pushed gently on his shoulder for him to lean back so she could straddle him. As she leaned forward, she kissed him with her full mouth. He savored the taste of citrus mixed with malt and hops on her tongue before licking at the corners of her mouth. Her sex rubbed against his and they both moaned in appreciation.

 

“Mmmm,” she responded in satisfaction. The way she hummed and how she looked at him had him straining for control. “You want more?”

 

He responded by reaching behind her and unhooking her bra. Her breasts bounced out of their confinement and he slipped the straps off her arms. He cupped her breasts and buried his face in between them, kissing and lapping at her skin.

 

“Yes,” she whimpered.

 

She took the remainder of the tangerine and slowly separated another wedge. She brought it to her mouth but she paused, resting the small piece against her bottom lip. Then her hand moved to his lips and offered the wedge. It languidly traced along his lips, teasing and threatening to be taken away before he could taste it.

 

“Want some?” Her voice was a breathy murmur and it would not have been audible if she wasn't astride his thighs.

 

He quickly took hold of her wrist with just his index finger and thumb. His grip was strong and he noticed how her breathing sped up and her eyes darkened further with desire. With his gaze locked on hers, he opened his mouth and devoured the segment of tangerine.

 

“My doctor once told me that tangerines help contribute to very important functions of the  _ body _ .”

 

“Well, Mulder, studies in Internal Medicine found that flavonoid consumption, like what you get by eating tangerines, was significantly associated with longevity and muscle control,” she said expertly while she rocked back and forth on his lap. Her cheeks were flushed with a hint of pink and her lips were pouty from their kiss. His eyes were riveted by the sight as the reality was exceeding the fantasy. “Vitamin C improves catecholaminergic activity,  which causes physiological changes that prepare the body for um physical activity.”

 

“Jesus, Scully,” he moaned.

 

“Some typical effects are increases in heart rate.” She placed her hand on his chest over his heart. “But it improves vascular function and increases oxytocin release.”

 

A deep growl emanated from the back of his throat. He wanted to bury himself inside her but not before properly relishing all of her body. He took one of her pert nipples into his mouth, and her hand grasped and pushed on the back of his head to encourage him further. Her hand continued to weave through his hair with her nails tracking along his scalp as his tongue toyed with her. His eyes fluttered shut and his mouth opened wider to take in more of her breast. He loved the feel of her soft skin as he rolled the hardened nub in between his teeth and poked at it with his tongue. She quivered as she rubbed her slick folds along his length. His other hand reached out and palmed and squeezed the breast that wasn't getting any attention from his mouth. Then he intensified his work, grunting in pleasure, as he vigorously sucked on her flesh.

 

“Ahhh!” she gasped and tensed in his arms. 

 

He let go of her breast and looked up at her, feeling terrible for hurting her. Before he could speak, she took his face in her hands and kissed him sweetly.

 

“They're very tender,” she explained. Her eyes were luminous and her breath was coming out in little puffs of air. “I need your attention somewhere else.”

 

With that, she lifted off his lap and impaled herself on his cock. Her fingers dug into his shoulders with the remainder of the tangerine forgotten on the couch cushion beside him. He let her do the moving and set the pace as he watched her through half lidded eyes. Her pelvis began to rock and slide up and down his length. Her wet heat felt like slick velvet wrapped tightly around his dick. One of his hands rested on her hip to help guide her motion as she rose up and sunk down on him over and over. 

 

“I love how wet you are,” he told her. “And so tight.”

 

Her movements sped up and her hands grasped the back of his head with her fingers intertwined in his hair. Her arms shook with the strain of her efforts. He buried his face in her neck and closed his eyes at the sensation of it all. Mulder held her firmly by the waist with his index and middle fingers rubbing the indent above her ass. 

 

“Ohh...fuck,” she panted and her juices coated him like warm syrup with every slide she made up and down his cock. “So good…it’s like...”

 

“The tangerine?” he managed to quip. 

 

“Even...better,” she breathed out.

 

He wanted this to last all night but he quickly felt the need for his release. The way she was fervently riding him, the scent of her passion, and the moans and little whimpers she was giving out was a sensory overload. His tongue traced along her neck leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses up to her jaw. She still tasted like the tangerine but with a hint of salt. This modicum of her flavor made him think of another area of her body he wanted to savor on his tongue.

 

“Scully…”

 

At that moment she slammed down hard against his pelvic bone and her fingers pulled at his hair, digging into his scalp. She shuddered in his arms and her chest heaved up and down as her walls convulsed around him, milking his cock. He held her down firmly against him as her orgasm took over.

 

She leaned back a little, her hands left his hair and returned to his shoulders, taking her bottom lip in between her teeth. Her hips began to move again, fast. The walls of her sex clenched and pulled him in even closer inside her. His cock was impossibly hard and throbbing with need. His balls were full and tight with the building pressure of her gyrating pelvis. He wanted to explode but he willed himself to hold out to provide her with another wave of ecstasy. 

 

All at once, Mulder was overcome by the sight of her, the friction of her movements, and the sounds of her pleasure. Her head was tilted upward with her lips parted as she called out to God. Her breasts bounced rhythmically against his chest and he hugged her tighter to feel the tender swells against him. She whimpered as she ground her sex in short strokes and began raking her taut nipples up and down his chest. 

 

“I’m...close...again,” she gasped.

 

He nodded, unable to answer as his impending orgasm took away the ability to use words. His hands reached lower down her body, the fingertips slightly parting and pressing at the entrance of her ass. This allowed for his cock to fill her up even more and she whimpered again with the added pressure.

 

“Come again for me,” he said in between heaving breaths. 

 

The rest of the world could disappear as long as he had her. This is what Mulder had searched for all his life, unaware that it was so close enough to touch. She had made him a whole person long before she had completed him with her body, but this aspect of their relationship was a wish come true. With her, he was loved and wanted through mind, body, and soul.

 

“Oh Mulder,” she moaned and he began to feel the familiar clenching and tightening of her walls again. “I...love you.”

 

She cried out as pleasure struck her again and leaned forward onto him with her face in the crook of his neck. He found his own release and rode it out with a last few purposeful thrusts up into her convulsing body. It was an intense feeling of love and relief as he began pulsing inside her, filling her with his seed.

 

“Uhh,” he grunted, his hands squeezing her so tight that he was sure he was leaving marks. He emptied himself inside her and she moaned when he did. “God, Scully.”

 

He held her against him, resting his head on her shoulder and his hand caressed along her spine. Her skin was dewy with sweat. After catching his breath, he lifted his head and rested his forehead against hers.

 

“Did you get your wish?” she asked, her eyes sparkled with mischief like she was willing to grant him something else.

 

“This is more than I could ever wish for,” he said tucking a red strand of hair behind her ear. “You are everything to me, Scully. I could die a happy man right now.”

 

She captured his mouth in a tender kiss. Then she looked deep into his eyes. “So we’re both fairly happy, that’s a step in the right direction.”

 

He put his arms around her and she snuggled up against him with the softness of her breasts pressed into his chest. They held each other like that, enjoying the simplicity of the moment and realizing it was everything they could hope for. 


	8. Season 8

Her doctor assured them that everything was fine. The placental abruption, though a serious complication in pregnancy, somehow managed to resolve itself and both Scully and the baby were healthy. There really wasn’t any concrete medical explanation but that was to be expected with a miracle. Dr. Speake insisted that Scully was to start her maternity leave early and avoid being on her feet for long periods of time. Mulder seized the opportunity to show her he wanted to be involved and his first mission was to acquire proper nutrition for the mother of his unborn child.

 

“You’ll be okay, Mulder?” she asked looking slightly worried.

 

He compiled the dishes they had just finished using for their breakfast into a neat tower and nodded. Her concern could either be because he wasn't fully himself after everything _They_ did to him or she thought he would only come back with sunflower seeds and artificially flavored orange juice. The remnants of their meal were placed in the sink and he glanced at his wristwatch. It was just twenty past nine so there was plenty of time to brave the store lines and come back to spend the rest of the day together.

 

“I know just what you need,” he answered with all the self-assurance he could muster.

 

She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “Are you bringing back ice cream?”

 

An amused smile formed on his lips and he placed his hands on her shoulders. He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her forehead that was a throwback to all the times his feelings for her consumed him but could not be articulated.

 

“Chocolate Brownie Extravaganza,” he confirmed with the seriousness he used when discussing UFO sightings. He put on his jacket and gathered his keys, placing them in the pocket of his dark jeans, and held onto the doorknob. He looked at her trying not to regard her with the panic he felt in leaving her. “You’re going to take it easy, right?”

 

Her right hand moved to her lower back and she nodded.

 

“I’m going to lay down.”

 

He released the breath he was holding, his lips pursed out like a kiss.

 

“Mulder, I’ll be fine,” she said and started to make her way to the bedroom.

 

He closed the door but then opened it and stuck his head in her apartment. “Oh, and Scully?”

 

She was just outside the hallway and turned her head towards him. “Yes?”

 

“I’ll bring some chocolate syrup and those crushed peanuts you like,” he added. “Since I noticed that you’re out.”

 

She smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”

 

It only took about forty-five minutes to complete his errand. Mulder had never purchased so many items labeled ‘ _high in fiber_ ’ and ‘ _natural ingredients only_.’ Though he was thrilled with the side effects of pregnancy that had Scully pining for pizza and French toast at all hours of the day, he had covered the chapter on what to eat while growing a baby. He knew that her body needed foods that were rich in protein and iron. He had also read that prenatal babies needed a good source of B-vitamin complex like folic acid. Coincidently, tangerines were an abundant source.

 

He missed out on offering her the coveted little fruit and making some endearing remark on how the baby was the same size that week. He would have liked to have done that along with just being there from the moment she found out. There was so much he would have wanted to change but he wasn't even supposed to have lived. He didn't dare bring it up now because what would be the point in reminding her of his shortcomings? He was more than grateful that she hadn’t condemned him to hell and moved on with her life. The only thing left to do was to prove himself worthy of her and their baby or die trying.

 

Since coming back, he couldn't stand the loneliness of his apartment as it only invited the darkness of his ordeal into his mind. With her, he was surrounded by light and of course, it gave him the chance to be the overprotective and doting partner, even though he would never admit that to her. At his insistence, he spent another night on her couch. He was afraid that his nightmares would disrupt her sleep, or worse, hurt her.

 

On his way back to her apartment, he stopped by the farmers market on 26th and O street and picked up five pounds of tangerines.

 

_Five pounds_ , Mulder thought in awe. _That's the weight the pregnancy book said the baby is right now at thirty-five weeks gestation._

 

He couldn't stop thinking about it as he tested the weight of the bag of fruit in his hand. Maybe he hadn't missed out on the opportunity of relating the two after all. It was a true wonder that she was carrying five pounds worth of a little person they made together inside her body.

 

The front door was unlocked without trouble, considering his arms were laden with grocery bags. He had to juggle them around to fish his keys out of his pocket and maneuvered his way inside. As he entered the warmth and comfort of her living room, Scully came padding down the hallway with a slight waddle he had come to find sexy and cute at the same time.

 

“Sit down, Scully,” he commanded before she could offer to help. “I remember where everything goes. You need to rest.”

 

He removed his jacket and toed off his shoes. The ice cream and other perishables were quickly put away. Rolling up the sleeves of his sweater, he grabbed three tangerines and peeled them over the kitchen sink and disposed of the rinds when he was finished.

 

He walked over to her where she was sitting on the couch. With her swollen belly and clad in the blue silk pajamas she had the night before, she was quite the vision. He smiled at the sight of her pink little toenails as she propped her feet uncharacteristically on the coffee table.

 

“A little something that's better than congealed cheese,” he quipped as he offered a yellow porcelain bowl filled with tiny tangerine wedges.

 

She took the bowl from him and smiled.

 

“Mulder,” she said before putting a piece in her mouth. “So sweet.”

 

Her eyes met his and he couldn't contain his delight when he realized that she wasn't talking about the little orange.

 

He sat down next to her and she extended the bowl of fruit to him. He picked a delicate piece of tangerine and examined it.

 

“I missed this,” he began.

 

She swallowed and said, “Your recovery has been remarkable on its own, Mulder.”

 

He ate the wedge and leaned towards her as a smile crept up on her lips.

 

“I mean this,” he clarified. He made a sweeping gesture that included them and their surroundings. “Us, sitting here. Things are starting to feel like old times.”

 

“I'm glad to hear that,” she said softly.

 

She averted her eyes and her hand moved to her belly, rubbing gently on the spot which he now knew signaled the baby was kicking.

 

He took the bowl from her and placed it on the coffee table.

 

There were many things running through his mind that he wanted to say. He had apologized for not being the first person to greet her when she had woken up in the hospital. There was gratitude on his part for everything John Doggett had done for Scully but there was still some jealousy towards the agent. For the past six months, Doggett got to share an office with her and knew to keep ginger ale and chocolate wafers around to relieve nausea and cravings. He needed to count his blessings but Mulder couldn't help feel replaced.

 

His gaze settled on her hands, how they tenderly stroked and then cupped her distended stomach. The gentle waves of the baby’s movements beneath her palms were hypnotic.

 

“Looks like someone else likes tangerines.”

 

“Yeah,” she breathed out. Her breath was slightly hitched while their child continued to shift around inside her. “I haven't had some in a while and it looks like the baby is enjoying the Vitamin C.”

 

She smiled and gazed at him with an expression that said ‘ _see for yourself_.’ He delightedly accepted the invitation and placed his right hand on her belly and was immediately rewarded with a strong jab.

 

“Wow! He's moving even more,” he marveled. “He didn't react like this to the pizza last night.”

 

He settled himself deeper in the couch and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She snuggled closer to him with a little sigh.

 

“What are you going to do today?” she asked.

 

“I'm already doing it,” he provided seriously.

 

“Mulder…”

 

She stopped and licked her lips. He could tell she was weighing something on her mind and he felt bad that she felt any hesitation. After waking up and remembering what had been done to him, he couldn't control the anger and bitterness that arose. He knew the baby was his but he felt awkward fitting back into his life. There were a lot of possibilities that scared him and the biggest one was if Scully even wanted a life with him after everything he had put her through. Their child’s paternity had not been revealed to anyone except her mother and as much as he respected her decision, it hurt. Everyone seemed to suspect he was the father but he had a feeling that admitting it would endanger her and spoil her reputation.

 

“What is it, Scully?” he prompted and caressed her shoulder.

 

“When I asked you to father my child, I didn't have anyone else in mind,” she stated with evident conviction in her tone. “If you had said no, I don't think I would have gone with an anonymous donor. I wanted a baby with you and _only_ you, Mulder. When I found out I was pregnant, revealing you were the father would have given them a reason to close down the X-Files and not let me find you.”

 

He cleared his throat. “I'm sorry about the other day… I was just teasing about the pizza man.”

 

“I know. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I've lost my sense of humor,” she told him.

 

He nodded and pursed his lips.

 

“If you want to make things more official,” he started to say not being able to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

 

“Mulder you're not obligated to-”

 

“No, don't do that, Scully,” he cut her off. “This has nothing to do with obligation and I've already told you that.”

 

“I just want you to be sure that this is what you want,” she said placing her hands on her belly again. “You've been through so much and I don't want you to feel pressured into doing anything.”

 

“Are you afraid of me?” he interrupted. “Because of what happened, what they did?”

 

His heart beat frantically in his chest in anticipation of hearing her answer.

 

She gripped his forearm. “Mulder, no. I feel safe with you.”

 

He closed his eyes and sighed in relief.

 

She began to shift around and he grabbed her by the wrist. “Where are you going?”

 

“Not far,” she murmured.

 

The deep blue of her eyes was striking and their brightness beckoned him to not doubt her words. The love he saw in them always had the power to make him feel whole. Placing her hand on his shoulder for support, she lifted her body off the couch and sat on his lap.

 

“Hi,” he said with reverence. He gazed at her before his eyes moved to her lips. His arms embraced her, one hand snaked around her back and the other rested on her belly.

 

“Hi,” she whispered. “Is this okay?”

 

He nodded and began to rub circles over her pajama top and fidgeted with the small buttons. Even though he didn't have all the answers and he feared the possibility of aliens coming to colonize the earth and hurt their baby, there was one thing that was certain: he loved them and he would do anything to protect them.

 

His fingers deftly undid the buttons of her top to just below her breasts. He placed his hand on her bare skin and looked up at her.

 

“I can't get enough of how warm you are,” he said continuing to caress her taut skin. “You’re so beautiful, Scully.”

 

She stared back at him longingly with parted lips. Their heads inched even closer together. The slight tint of pink on her cheeks made him feel bold and he closed the small gap between them. He captured her mouth and his tongue gently prodded and tasted. A soft whimper filled the quiet of the room and was quickly accompanied by a groan of his own.

 

“We can’t,” he reminded her though he was also telling himself. “You have to take it easy.”

 

“You started it,” she muttered.

 

His jaw dropped slightly indicating his surprise at her interpretation of who had caused the temperature to elevate in the room first. He could have pointed out that her sitting on his lap was the precursor to him wanting to lose himself in her and he had solid evidence straining against his jeans to prove it. When they decided to cross the final line in their relationship it was Scully who initiated it. It was by far one of the sexiest and most enthralling experiences of his life. Therefore, he didn't find the need to verbalize technicalities. She desired him as much as he did her and he would always be grateful for that.

 

“How about some lunch?” he suggested. “I want to know how he reacts to broccoli.”

 

“He tends to poke me in the ribs just like his father,” she said dryly.

 

Mulder smiled proudly. He helped her get up and they made their way to the kitchen.

 

“There’s something I want to ask,” she revealed as she buttoned up her shirt. “I have a Lamaze class in a couple of weeks and, um, I wanted to ask if you would go with me.”

 

His chest expanded with pride and he took a deep breath. These were the kind of things he didn't dare to imagine because they seemed too good to be true. Before he fell in love with her, he would have told anyone that he could prove the existence of aliens before finding himself in the situation of becoming a father. Then, he found out what it was like to be loved by her and he yearned to give her everything. Despite their need to keep their relationship a secret, a part of him wanted the liberty of having everyone know that they belonged to each other. Now he would have that opportunity in a room filled with Kellys and Toms.

 

“Yes,” he answered confidently in spite of the rapid pounding of his heart. “Of course, Scully. I want to be involved.”

 

He wrapped his arms around her to seal the deal. His hands glided up and down her back. She felt so good to touch.

 

“Okay,” she beamed.

 

Images of Scully sitting in between his legs while they made forced breathing noises together in a room full of strangers brought another smile to his face. They would get to be a normal couple - whatever that was. They were expecting a baby, and everyone else would silently congratulate him for causing her condition. It dawned on him that if she was inviting him to Lamaze then perhaps he could anticipate being in the delivery room. He hoped he could provide her with everything she needed. For the first time since waking up from being dead, Mulder felt thrilled. This excitement wasn’t comparable to getting leads on lake monsters or evidence for the existence of extraterrestrials. It exceeded that because this was a life he had made with her, and despite the odds against them, she wanted him there.

 

The only answers he could be certain of were waiting for him in a chapter titled _Just Breathe_ and he had to do just that.


	9. Season 9

“I’m sorry.”

 

Mulder’s head snapped up in the direction of the forlorn comment. Even after the past couple of months of sharing living quarters, he could still forget that Gibson Praise could read his thoughts. His mind was distraught with missing his family and that made it a lot more challenging to channel positive thoughts.

 

“I know you want to go back,” Gibson acknowledged. “But I think it's some kind of trap.”

 

The surrounding landscape of their trailer in the desolate place left much to be desired. The arid and red powdery mounds of desert land were like an endless void with no green pastures in sight. He tried to make discernible figures out of the crevices and grains on the rocks towering over him to pass the time. That only made him feel like he was going mad. There were no truths to seek here. It was hot and lonely. It was hell. 

 

“Scully wrote back saying that I need to return,” he said getting up from his makeshift bed. The trailer they were living in made his old apartment in Alexandria look like the Ritz but it was keeping both of them safe. It was definitely nothing like the home in Georgetown that he had been forced to leave behind. “The special plan we arranged before I left has been set in motion.”

 

“I don't mean that,” the boy clarified with urgency. “I just have this feeling… I’m worried that maybe Scully is being tricked. It feels off.”

 

“Well, if she's in any kind of danger the more reason for me to go back,” he rationalized. “My son… they both need me.”

 

“You're the one in serious danger, Mulder,” Gibson corrected in a serious and somewhat eerie voice.

 

His gift, though Gibson still considered it a curse, had kept them out of harm’s way. When he found Mulder in the middle of the New Mexican desert, the teen’s explanation for being there was that he simply just knew. He said something about hearing his way there and that the voices had been growing even louder than ever. 

 

_ Poor kid _ .

 

“Your son is very special,” he said quietly, in an almost apology.

 

Mulder blinked at the statement not exactly knowing how to respond. Special didn't even begin to describe William. The baby came to exist even when he wasn't supposed to. He didn't believe in God but, after seeing Scully pregnant with his child and being told he was dead for three months, he couldn’t count Him out completely. When he first held his son in his arms, he understood more of why even a hardcore scientist like Scully still clung to her beliefs. Then again, as he found himself with his heart broken and so far away from the ones he loved, he questioned what the point was in putting so much faith in an all-knowing and omnipotent being that let horrible things happen to those who didn't deserve them. 

 

Scully would argue that’s not exactly how it works.

 

“You're afraid he’s like me,” Gibson provided sadly. “I understand but at least he doesn’t have to worry about being betrayed by his parents.”

 

The boy looked over at him with a wisdom far beyond his years and made a face indicating that there was a bright side to all of this. If it was supposed to be some foretelling of the future or a way to placate his anxiety, it didn’t work.

 

“No, no, no,” he tried to defend. “It’s just…he’ll always be in danger. They might try to take him-”

 

“Like me and your sister,” the teen responded knowingly. “And like you.”

 

An uncontrollable shiver ran down his spine. He was still plagued with nightmares of the tests that had been done to him and this recent attempt on his life had exacerbated his condition. 

 

_ PTSD _ , he knew it was getting worse. 

 

Trauma and tragedy were not new to Mulder but this was different than other times. This was like living without being able to breathe and know that his heart was outside his body. There was no guarantee of when he would be reunited with it.

 

“Sorry,” Gibson lamented again. “I didn't mean to bring  _ that _ up.”

 

“I better start getting ready,” he informed his young companion. “I trust your instincts, but this is Scully, my family. I can’t  _ no _ t go. If something were-”

 

“I know.” Gibson adjusted his glasses on his nose and stood from the fold-up chair he had been sitting on. He took one step into the area that was considered the kitchen. “I got you something. You were thinking about it the other day.”

 

He rummaged through his backpack in search of something. Quickly, he held up a tangerine and tossed it to him. Mulder caught it and smiled. The simple little orange felt familiar and comforting in his palm. It was something he could physically hold on to as a reminder of the life he had discovered and made alongside a brilliant woman. One that he hoped he could soon get back to.

 

“Thanks.”

 

He placed the fruit next to the stack of books that had become his only means of escape from the reality he was living in. The titles ranged from Native American traditions and beliefs to well-known myths and legends around the world. Among them were some parenting manuals and infant development texts that he hoped could help him track his son's growth and prepare him for when they were reunited.

 

Mulder looked at the cheap real estate calendar pinned to the trailer wall. William was about seven months old. 

 

_ Were his eyes still blue? _

 

He wondered what he looked like now and if his hair had started to come in. Mulder remembered from his own baby pictures that his hair took a while to grow too. He pictured him healthy and happy along with his beautiful mother. 

 

_ Scully _ . 

 

God, how he missed her.

 

By now, she would have introduced solid foods to the baby. If William took after him, he'd probably dive face first into whatever bowl of puréed concoction was set before him and ask questions later. He would probably end up wearing his food and redecorating the walls by the time he was done which would have Scully with an arsenal of cleaning supplies at the ready.

 

Gibson laughed.

 

If he wasn’t staring out aimlessly into the desert or reading, he would daydream about his family. He tried to imagine what she looked like. Tousled hair, orange spots all over her neatly pressed shirt, but a smile on her lips nonetheless. Her eyes would twinkle with pride at their son, for both of them. The scene playing in his head was complete with William expertly doing a raspberry and more goo landing on Scully’s face. She would wrinkle her nose and cock an eyebrow for effect. Then, gently she would pick him up, plant a kiss on his forehead and give him a bath.

 

Mulder sighed at the helplessness he felt. He had missed the first six months of her pregnancy and felt lost and terrible about it. This was worse. He was missing out on watching his son grow up and being a part of his life. He was an actual person now, not just cells dividing and moving around inside Scully’s body.

 

“Just be careful,” Gibson urged. “You can’t afford to not make it out of this alive. Like you said, they need you.”

 

****

 

A few days after she vowed that she would follow him all over again amid the shadows of a motel room in New Mexico, they procured a couple of sandwiches from a gas station and he bought her some tangerines from a street vendor. She began to peel one of them and smiled slightly as if she was recalling something. All too quickly the expression on her face was laced with pain and her shoulders slumped.

 

“He loved- I mean he _ loves _ fruit, Mulder,” she told him in between a sob and a whisper. “He likes to just bite into it and get the juice out… and he makes a mess all over his clothes.”

 

He moved in and held her tight against his chest, his hand stroking her back. His heart was broken in more than a million pieces over their loss and that she was in this kind of pain but he also hoped she could share more about their son. There was just so much that he wanted to ask but felt afraid to. His constant need for answers had led them to this kind of life and he shouldn't burden her, especially if it related to William.


	10. Season 10

Their recent reunion as Federal agents and conversation on the log had revealed her intentions of always remaining by his side. He wanted to provide her with answers too. For years he had chased any lead on the whereabouts of his sister to the point of risking any semblance of living a normal life. When it came to their son, he would not rest until he got to see them reunited as a family. Whatever was in store next, they would brave it together. There were some things that could never change and being a part of the other’s life would always be a constant. The truth would always be a common ground for his believer and her skeptic to expose it through extreme possibilities and science. 

 

The clinking of dishes and running water in the kitchen brought him out of his reverie. The faucet shut off and emitted something between a hum and a groan. Mulder let out a contented sigh. This was part of the soundtrack of sharing a home with Scully and he had missed it terribly for the past twelve months. Prior to that, he had taken so much for granted.

 

Scully set two glasses of iced tea down on the coffee table before sitting next to him on the couch. She had removed her denim blazer and he treated his eyes to the expanse of skin offered by her bare shoulders. In the past, he had been privy to the skin she normally kept hidden from the professional world. There was a new array of freckles there that he wanted to explore and trace.

 

“That’s an impressive stock of food you have in there, Mulder,” she said with a raised eyebrow and a smile beginning to tug at the corners of her mouth.

 

“I do a better job of shopping these days,” he returned mock somber tone.

 

“I couldn't help but notice a lot of my favorites,” she commented lightly.

 

“That’s just a coincidence,” he replied, trying to maintain a cool exterior but his smile gave him away. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, bringing her closer, and he kissed the side of her head. “There are some habits I don't want to break and I tend to shop with you in mind.”

 

She chuffed out a laugh and his chest swelled with all the love he had for her. It had been such a long time since he felt this way.

 

“What other habits do you have that... keep me in mind?” she asked. 

 

The sensual and playful undertone in her voice could not be ignored. He felt himself begin to grow hard as her hand caressed along his abs over his gray pullover. His hand covered hers and it stilled over his heart. He looked into her eyes and only saw love and desire in them. Their heads inched closer together as if in slow motion and then his eyes closed when his lips met hers. He kissed her softly, tentatively as though this was still new between them. She took hold of his hand to place it over her breast and that was all the reassurance he needed.

 

“Mmm,” he sighed as his tongue explored her mouth, reveling in its sweet taste. 

 

This wasn’t their first time being together since she left him. During their separation, they had not abstained from being intimate, however, it was grief and stress that would drive them to lose themselves in each other’s bodies. There could never be anyone else. He wasn't looking for meaningless sex to try to forget or to get back at her for leaving. He had never been that type to engage in one night stands and there was no point to start now. Scully assured him that she wasn't either but there were so many things to work out in their relationship that after putting her clothes back on, she would leave. Their encounters usually took place in his office or the living room but not on the bed they shared for ten years in the quaint home.

 

“Ohh,” she moaned as his tongue lightly swept over her bottom lip, and it reverberated all throughout his insides making his pulse rise even more.

 

His thumb languidly stroked her nipple through her shirt and the thin material of her bra. His mouth moved down her jawline and neck until he reached the soft skin of her shoulders. He planted a slow succession of open-mouthed kisses to cover every new freckle that had appeared there. Their lips reunited and they remained this way until her hand squeezed his thigh. He stopped and was struck by the look in her eyes. 

 

After all these years, it never ceased to amaze him that of all the people on the planet she reserved her love for only him. Her illuminating orbs would always transport him back to that night in the forest when they laughed about losing nine minutes while being drenched under a torrential downpour on their first case in Oregon. He also saw the confident woman who had saved his life more times than he could count and had offered tidbits of her childhood while sharing her favorite fruit. With her actions and words, she made her way into his heart and never left.

 

“Take me to bed,” she whispered.

 

He rose from the couch and extended a hand to her and she took it with a smile. After returning from their stroll around their property in which they discussed God and the sound of trumpets, he felt ready to talk about all the things they had left unspoken, _like William_. Right now, they were anticipating reuniting officially through other means that required very few words. He had a feeling that this wasn't like this past year where she perceived herself an outsider in their home and felt the need to leave before he had the chance to tell her to stay. He didn't want to push her to move back but now there was hope that she would be returning soon.

 

Once in the bedroom, he gathered her in his arms and pressed his mouth softly against hers.

 

“Scully,” he began feeling slightly nervous. He had a lot to say about how sorry he was for letting things fall apart but didn't know where to start. “I trust you, I’ve always trusted you.” 

 

His hands slid slowly over her body, relishing in its contours and softness. Her hands moved gently down his back until they anchored themselves in a tight embrace above his waist.

 

She tilted her head up towards his face and with a raised eyebrow said, “Always?”

 

“I think after everything that happened, or didn’t happen in 2013, I stopped trusting myself,” he admitted to her. “I stopped feeling worthy of your love and maybe that’s why I didn’t stop you from leaving.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere, Mulder,” she vowed.

 

“I love you,” he said roughly, with the feeling of his arousal increasing at this emotional revelation and confirmation. “I always will.” 

 

Little wrinkles appeared on her forehead and she smiled in that manner that always made it appear like she was in disbelief when he told her things like that. With her hand at the base of his neck she pulled his head towards her, just a few inches apart from her enticing pink lips.

 

“Show me,” she emphasized with her body pressed tightly up against his.

 

Their mouths met again but the pace of this kiss was different from the one they had shared downstairs. It was heated and hungry. His hands began to roam her toned figure and clutch at fabric around her body. His cock strained inside his cargo pants and he groaned when she crushed into him again. As he continued to kiss her deeply, he walked her towards the bed until the mattress hit the back of her knees.

 

When their kiss broke, she removed the dark blue blouse she was wearing. His fingers framed her waist then  moved down to help remove her khakis before she sat down. Scully tugged at his pullover and it soon joined her clothes on the floor. Her hands reached for the waistband of his pants but he took hold of them and shook his head.

 

“Lay down, Scully,” Mulder said gently but with an authoritative voice he used only in the bedroom.

 

She reached behind her to remove her nude colored bra and laid down, wearing only her white panties. He crawled beside her and with his body covering hers, he kissed her thoroughly before traversing down her neck and to the swells of her breasts. She moaned as he took a tight nipple between his lips. His hand moved to palm at the other breast and she let out a whimper as his mouth worked the hard nub, gently skimming it with his teeth and tongue.

 

“Oh, Mulder,” she pleaded as her hands gripped the back of his head. Her fingers wove through his hair to encourage him to continue. “Please.”

 

After ravishing both her breasts he continued lower down her body, leaving a trail of kisses over her flat stomach and circling her belly button. He hooked his fingers on her panties, pulling them off before placing his hands on her knees and gently parted her legs. He ran a hand down her inner thigh, softly stroking and kneading until reaching her center. He found her wet and ready for him. The air in the room was hot and pulsing with anticipation. The scent of her arousal drove him wild and he palmed at his erection over his pants to ease the ache. He shifted his weight onto his knees and his tongue met with her sex. Scully let out a faint keening sound as the tip of his tongue traced along her swollen folds. 

 

“Don’t close your eyes, Scully,” he directed as he adjusted his position at the end of the bed and swung one of her legs over his shoulder. “Watch me.”

 

Propping herself up on her elbows, she watched him through hooded eyes with her mouth slightly agape. Mulder looked up at her as he tasted the essence between her legs and took his time teasing and licking her center. Her breasts rose up and down as she panted in anticipation. He felt his cock grow impossibly hard at the sight of her and he felt the tenacious need to touch her. His left hand snaked upward and cupped her right breast. He squeezed and rubbed the soft flesh with his fingertips never stopping his oral ministrations on her sex.

 

“Oh god!” she cried out as her hand shot out to touch her other breast and she collapsed onto her back. With her free hand, she took hold of his hair with a precise grip and ground her wet heat into his face. 

 

“Fuck, I love when you do that,” he said as he pulled away slightly when her fingers relaxed their hold on his hair. 

 

He took her bundle of nerves between his lips and sucked as she kneaded her nipple between a thumb and index finger. His love and desire for her were overwhelming and he groaned with pleasure as he proceeded to fuck her with his tongue.

 

“Oh, god. Mulder!” she whimpered as her thighs quivered around him, signaling her release, and she dug the heel of her foot into his back. “Mulder!”

 

Another wave of her arousal coated his tongue and he lapped at it appreciatively. Her hand caressed and then tugged at his shoulder summoning him to join her. He planted small kisses over her trimmed curls before lifting himself up and removing his pants and boxers.

 

He took himself in hand and stroked from the head of his cock to the base. Pleasuring her always gave him a head rush. The sight of her adjusting herself on the bed and spreading her legs to welcome him inside her made him feel slightly dizzy.

 

He crawled up towards her until his body covered hers and their sexes were aligned. Her hands traveled under his arms and met at his back where she pressed her fingertips into his skin. He entered her in one thrust and they both moaned in unison. 

 

“Holy fuck, Scully,” Mulder groaned.

 

Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist and her ankles locked above his ass. She was pulsing hot and wet. The tightness of her walls made his dick throb and he began to move inside her to only heighten the love and desire coursing through him. He buried his face in her neck and shut his eyes attempting to calm his body from the onslaught of sensations and emotions he was experiencing. He felt feverish.  He began to pump into her hard and fast, his hips quickly falling into the familiar rhythm that would gratify both of them.

 

“Ohh, God….I love you,” she said in between pants. “Ohh, right there.”

 

His heart jumped at her words. He watched the rapture spread over her face and the formless words and sounds that rolled from her throat further boosted his ego. 

 

“Not bad... for an old guy... right?” he managed to say in between heavy breaths. “I may not be able to keep up with... that technology crap but-”

 

He pulled out almost to the tip and slid right back in and ground his pelvis to hers. Scully gasped and dug her nails into the skin of his back.

 

“Oh God! Yes!” she cried out. “Don’t stop!”

 

“Mmm,” he rasped against the skin of her neck. Her passionate pleas ignited a fire of cosmic proportions inside him as he repeated the action. He withdrew from her tight heat leaving the head of his cock nestled between her folds and then fusing their bodies together again. 

 

“Keep moving,” Scully urged him to continue in a voice that could be described as authoritative while coated with honey _. _

 

“Tell me more.”

 

“Fuck...Mulder, faster!” she pleaded. 

 

Her breath was still coming out in small gasps. She took gulps of air as their bodies continued to rock together. He took great pride in being able to change the pitch of her voice. Her usual sultry alto was now hitched and the melodious chants she let out every time he pushed into her were music to his ears. 

 

“Oh fuck... harder!” she cried and his hips began pumping harder and faster to a pace he worried might hurt her. She cried out as she writhed under his body. “Yes! Fuck me like that!”

 

“Scully,” he huffed. This dialogue was so different from the calm and collected doctor and agent he had the pleasure of working with all these years. He found her scientific discourse very attractive because smart is sexy but this version of vocal exchange was always welcomed too. “I love it when you talk like that.”

 

The bedroom was now restored to its former glory; once again inhabited by their laborious breathing and scent of combined sweat from their lovemaking. He felt the tightening and stirring in his balls that signaled his release. The mattress and headboard squeaked and sighed in unison as his body now took on a hurried pace to get both of them there. He snaked a hand in between to where they were joined and crooked his middle finger inside, pressing it to her swollen clit. Scully arched her back and her body went taut, her sex clenched like a vice around his cock and her legs wrapped so tightly around him that he could not tell where either of them began. Then she was soft and pliable underneath him again. She unlocked her legs and stilled her hips, spreading her legs as far apart as she could to grant him the angle he preferred.

 

He took hold of her legs, positioning his hands on the side of each of her thighs and ground into her. He continued to pump inside her, fast and steady until his thrusts became erratic. Her pussy was slick from her release but still so tight as it massaged his rigid cock to completion. His orgasm came with the charged energy of a man who knew he was sharing himself with the love of his life. It was a sense of powerful rising, like gliding forward at the top of a magnificent wave. His balls contracted upwards, clenching and throbbing until the surge began to crest and fall forward onto itself. The sensation gathered as his hips spasmed and pushed inside her, filling her with his fluids.

 

He became aware of the almost harsh rasp in his breathing, the pounding of his heart, and the hoarseness of her voice. The muscles of his tired and sated body began to relax.

 

“You’re not leaving tonight,” he informed her and punctuated his words with tender kisses to her jawline and neck. He wasn't trying to dictate her decisions but he also needed to show her that he was serious about working on the more personal part of their relationship. If he had staked his claim on her when they were simply work partners and friends there was no sense in not expressing how he felt now. “I want to move forward, together.”

 

She nodded and her eyes twinkled with unshed tears. He kissed the corner of her mouth before parting her lips with his tongue.

 

“Jesus, woman,” Mulder whispered against her lips as he felt his dick begin to stir while still inside her. “Are you trying to kill me?”

 

“Of course not,” Scully smiled as her hands caressed along his shoulders and back. “You're no good to me dead.”

 

He gave her a quick peck on the lips before slipping himself out of her. He rose from their bed and extended his hand to her for the third time that day. Her delicate fingers took hold of his as she stood up and then made their way towards the bathroom.

 

“I wasn’t planning on leaving,” she expressed seriously, her hand came to rest on his forearm. “I want to be here… and to come home.”

 

He nodded knowingly and opened the shower stall door and stepping inside first. Mulder signaled for her to join him in the stall and he turned the knob on the faucet.

 

“Now, Scully, we’re just going to take a shower so no funny business,” he prodded playfully. 

 

He let out a slight yelp as the cold water hit his back. With a palm planted on the tile on each side of her head, his body leaned slightly over her, sheltering her until the water reached a comfortable temperature.

 

“That was quite a girly scream, Mulder,” Scully teased and her fingertips brushed along his biceps.

 

“It was not,” he argued with a grin. “It’s not like I saw a bug in here.”

 

The room became filled with steam and the scents of lavender and sandalwood. Their bodies were covered in a rich lather as they explored each other with mischievous grins and pretenses of getting clean. His hands migrated to her breasts and his thumbs circled her hardened nipples languidly, spreading and coating the soap suds on her skin. She pulled him closer to him and her hands gripped his ass, the bath loofah she had been holding dropped to the floor in the process. His nose brushed against her cheek and reached her neck, nuzzling at the skin there before his teeth met it with the light pressure of a bite. 

 

“You okay?” he asked softly as his hands caressed their way down her stomach. He heard and felt the distinguishable rumbles of her need for food. “Hungry?”

 

“I’m a little hungry,” she expressed and wrapped herself around him. Her hips began to slowly rock against him until her stomach rumbled again. “Would you make me one of your infamous grilled cheese sandwiches? Please?”

 

“Sure,” he replied with a crooked smile as he shut off the water. They stepped out of the shower and he handed her a towel. “Since you asked nicely.”

 

They dried off and went back to the bedroom in search of clothes. He couldn't help but smile as she rummaged through his drawers and grabbed one of his Knicks t-shirts and a pair of black boxers. She pulled the soft cotton over her naked body, handed him the underwear and they made their way downstairs.

 

The kitchen soon became filled with the homie aroma of melted butter on toasted bread and hearty Colby-Jack cheese. Scully sat back with a contented sigh after eating the last bite on her plate.

 

“The best I’ve ever had,” she informed him with a smile, pushing the empty dish slightly away from her.

 

“I aim to please,” he offered in earnest.

 

“I wasn’t talking about the sandwich, Mulder.” She tilted her head to the side and gave him an enticing smile. The way she alluded to their sex life during a meal or while filling out paperwork throughout their years together always drove him mad with desire for her. “Though that was delicious, thank you.”

Her eyelashes fanned over her eyes and her fingertips traced seductively on the rim of the plate’s simple pattern that they both had agreed on at a second-hand shop. It wasn’t fancy china but it had been an acknowledgment on both their parts that they were married to each other in all the ways that counted.

 

“Ohhh,” he said not being able to hide his delight at the realization of which persona of Dana Scully was before him.  _ Flirty Scully _ . “Well, that applies to that too.”

 

He tracked her gaze as it settled over the bowl of fruit on the table.

 

“Hey,” she started, picking up a small tangerine from the pile. “Are these from Rose Park?”

 

“Yeah, I decided to pick some up yesterday after I left the office,” he replied. The memory of Scully pregnant with their son happily eating small orange wedges that he had brought to her from the farmers market on O street was a cherished one. “You like the ones from there, right?”

 

“They’re the sweetest I’ve ever had. Although-” She smiled and her shoulders gave a small shrug. “Maybe they taste so sweet because you’re the one that brings them to me.”

 

Her hand reached out and intertwined with his. His thumb rubbed softly along her hand.

“I know that they remind you of when you were a little girl, that it was something else you shared with your father.”

 

“I can’t believe you remember that,” she commented with evident astonishment registering on her face.

 

“I remember everything about you, Scully,” he intoned as if this should be as obvious as the scientific facts she clung to. “I know I fail to show you sometimes...I can be a real ass.”

 

“We’re going to work through it together,” she expressed and her eyes shone brightly with conviction. She licked her lips and her gaze became downcast.  Her voice was slightly hitched and it almost wavered as she continued. “I also let us down by-”

 

“Let’s not do that,” he interjected and squeezed her hand. Even though it hurt, he didn’t blame her for leaving. He also didn’t harbor any resentment for her decision to give up their son though he sensed Scully believed that he did, or that he should. The worst thing they did was not trust each other enough to discuss it. He dwelled in his failure to protect them to the point of shutting her out. All the while she plummeted deep in her work in order to further avoid their problems.  “We both did some things we have regrets over but we need to move forward now.”

 

“What should be our next step, Mulder?” she asked. Her calm and professional demeanor was there but he could pick up the worried tone in her voice. 

 

“We’re going to find our son,” he affirmed and leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead. 

 

He felt her body relax, her eyes met his and she nodded.

 

“But first we’re going to need our strength,” he said reaching for a tangerine and sinking his fingers into its skin. “Baby orange?”

 

“Tangerine, Mulder,” she laughed taking the fruit from his hand. “It’s called a tangerine.”

 

The rest of the night wore on filled with murmurs of love and desire between them. He told her that she was his as he took her over the kitchen table. With the moon’s light visiting through their bedroom window, Mulder sighed as he nestled his face in the crook of Scully’s neck. His hands stroked her naked body and they slowly stilled as her soft breathing lulled him to sleep.

 

So sweet. So good.


	11. Epilogue

A sixteen year old boy reaches up and picks a couple of tangerines off a tree. His tall frame allows him to get the best ones which are higher up on the branches. He’s always had an affinity for them because he enjoys the sweetness and they just feel wholesome. The fruit reminds him of home but not here on the farm even though they have a nice size orchard of them. He can't quite put his finger on the memory but all he knows is that he's going to offer the best one he can find to Mary-Jo.

They have some classes together, she’s his lab partner, and she appreciates his jokes. He likes her a little more than he lets on and he’s also not sure why but he thinks that handing her a blue ribbon tangerine is a good way to start to win her heart; maybe he can ask her out to the homecoming dance.

She smiles as she accepts the fruit and her green eyes, though he could also argue that they're blue, are bright. “Thanks, Will.”

He nods and smiles back at her.

He contemplates his surroundings: lush green grass as far as the eye can see, the smell of his mother’s apple pie wafting through the air, and the calming lull of cattle in the distance. Mary-Jo’s arm lightly touches his and he feels sparks throughout his body. He’s grateful for what his parents have given him. He’s loved, has a safe home, and a pretty girl by his side. It’s a calm and normal life with little excitement, but it’s a really good one.


End file.
